Tag Archives: Institute

ToyotaUk

Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center Expands Latest Phase of Research with New Projects

Collaborations with University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Touchstone Evaluations, Inc., University of Michigan International Center for Automotive Medicine, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Transportation and Logistics Agelab

Project expansion reinforces research vision of promoting safety innovations and facilitating a seamless transition to future mobility solutions

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (July 27, 2023) – Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) announced plans to launch three new projects as part of its next phase of research, dedicated to advancing safety in mobility technologies.

The three new projects include investigating driver support features for vehicle lane centering, creating an in-vehicle intervention prototype to promote safe driving, and using data to improve technology for driver decision making and encourage safer driving behavior.

In addition, Toyota has joined the Vulnerable Road User Injury Prevention Alliance (VIPA) at the University of Michigan International Center for Automotive Medicine (ICAM) to support ongoing research into crashes involving pedestrians, cyclists, and e-scooter riders. VIPA aims to enhance industry-wide understanding of common scenarios that lead to crashes and injuries, with the goal of developing effective prevention measures.

These projects, along with the 13 projects announced in 2022, are part of Toyota’s five-year $30 million commitment to exploring safety needs and inclusive mobility options.

“Our new research projects exemplify CSRC’s dedication to improving safety in the automotive industry,” said Danil Prokhorov, director of Toyota’s CSRC. “By collaborating with researchers and studying real-world problems, we aim to develop enhanced engineering tools and empower drivers to maximize the potential of advanced technologies.”

For these new projects, CSRC is partnering with Massachusetts Institute of Technology Agelab, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, and Touchstone Evaluations, Inc. The findings will be shared publicly to maximize their impact and contribute to the development of a safer mobility society.

The three new research projects are:

The Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) was established in 2011 to advance safety in the automotive industry through collaborations with universities and other institutions. With current commitments, CSRC has received $115 million for safety research, including the development of tools and testing procedures for advanced driver assistance systems and human factors research.

The current phase of research at CSRC focuses on three key tracks: Human-Centric, Safety Assurance, and Assessment. These tracks aim to ensure safe and accessible mobility technologies, enhance safe operations, and quantify mobility safety measures.

CSRC has conducted 98 research projects with over 30 different institutions, resulting in the publication of over 275 research papers. The projects have contributed to the advancement of research and technology for the safe integration of future mobility solutions.

TMNA R&D

Toyota Motor North America Research & Development (TMNA R&D) has been leading engineering for Toyota vehicles for over 50 years. The team is now focused on creating next-generation vehicles and advanced mobility concepts. Toyota’s innovation has resulted in more patents than any other automaker for the past nine consecutive years.

Motorsport

Small And Midsize Trucks Struggle in IIHS Crash Testing, Fail to Earn Top Scores

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently conducted crash tests on five small crew cab pickups. Unfortunately, these trucks did not perform well in the agency’s updated moderate overlap front evaluation, especially when it came to rear passenger safety. Not a single truck received the highest score of Good.

Here are the vehicles tested and their respective scores, listed from best to worst:

Model Score
2022-23 Nissan Frontier crew cab Acceptable
2022-23 Ford Ranger crew cab Marginal
2022 Chevrolet Colorado crew cab Poor
2022-23 Jeep Gladiator Poor
2022-23 Toyota Tacoma crew cab Poor

All of these trucks demonstrated good safety performance for the driver. However, the issue that led to the low scores was the safety of rear passengers. According to the IIHS, the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma had a problem where the restraints in the back seat allowed the dummy’s head to come too close to the front seatback.

The Jeep Gladiator had a different issue. It lacked a side curtain airbag, increasing the risk of the rear dummy hitting something inside the cabin during a collision.

Another concern was identified in the Ford Ranger, where the rear dummy slid under the lap belt, moving from the pelvis to the abdomen. This increased the risk of internal injuries.

“Our updated moderate overlap front crash test proved to be challenging for small pickups,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “A common problem was that the rear passenger dummy’s head came dangerously close to the front seatback, and in many cases, dummy measurements indicated a risk of neck or chest injuries. All these things tell us that the rear seat belts need improvement.”

The IIHS implemented the revised moderate overlap front test in response to its discovery that the risk of fatal injuries was higher for rear occupants compared to those in the front. The institute believes this is because automakers have primarily focused on optimizing driver safety.

These trucks are not the only vehicles to struggle with the more challenging crash test. In the case of small cars, none of them received a Good score when evaluated by the IIHS. On the other hand, four midsize SUVs earned Good ratings, while two small SUVs scored the top grade in the same test.

BMW

BMW Motorrad’s Award-Winning Brand Room at BMW Welt

The BMW Welt in Munich boasts the Brand & Customer Institute, which is the only one of its kind in the automotive industry. It allows chosen partners and employees to immerse themselves in BMW Group’s brands, including BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, and BMW Motorrad, which has had its own brand room since January 2022.

BMW Motorrad’s brand room was named “Brand Architecture” in the “Spatial Communication” category of last year’s Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design. The “Red Dot Design Award” has been adjudicating for the awards since 1954, with the red dot symbolising quality and excellence and becoming internationally recognised.

BMW Motorrad received the iF DESIGN AWARD as the latest recognition, which has been a globally accepted symbol of excellent design since 1954 and is one of the leading global design awards. The BMW Motorrad brand room was able to win over the 133 independent and international experts on the jury for the award for its excellent architectural design and an emotionally crafted brand training programme, making it one of the leading design honours.

The design challenges for the BMW Motorrad brand room were significant because of the small area of 38 square metres, which required the immersion of imaginative brand concepts in inspiring architecture. The solution was a multi-sensory interior design that harmonised with the iconic glass facade of the existing building and supported the interactive experience in the space. The result was an experience that excited curiosity and creativity in visitors who could explore the BMW Motorrad brand and its world.

The customers and fans of BMW Motorrad know that the brand embodies an active lifestyle and experience-oriented attitude, which is the brand promise of “Make Life a Ride.” In the BMW Motorrad brand room designed to cater to personal experiences, the brand’s thematic focus areas are offered through fascinating brand access points that serve as interactive immersion experiences. The BMW Motorrad brand room is a place of communication and dialogue, analogous to a motorcyclist gathering around the campfire that provides a perfect backdrop for training sessions.

In essence, the BMW Motorrad brand room is a holistic experiential concept, featuring elements that appeal to all the senses, including sound, light, and natural materials. The combination of unique features and holistic design makes the BMW Motorrad brand room a memorable and creative experience.

BMW has made it easy to experience the BMW Motorrad brand among other BMW Group brands in the BMW Motorrad brand room at BMW Welt Munich since January 2022. The Brand Mover Training immersive experience in the BMW Motorrad brand room gives visitors all the insight into the brand and its customer types and values through interactive training sessions that simulate all the senses.

If you are interested in BMW motorcycles and BMW Motorrad rider equipment, you can find the press material in the BMW Group PressClub, accessible via www.press.bmwgroup.com. You can also contact Sarah Bauer, Corporate, Product and Innovation Communications, at +49-151-601-94180, or via email at Sarah.Bauer@bmw.de.